Charmed star Alyssa Milano put a call to arms out for survivors of sexual assault to highlight the magnitude of the problem

By Chloe Kerr

17th October 2017, 12:59 am

Updated: 18th October 2017, 8:29 am

WOMEN from all over the world have come forward to share their story of being sexually harassed on social media using the hashtag "me too" showing the magnitude of sexual assault.

The hashtag started trending worldwide after a call to action from actress Alyssa Milano in the wake of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's downfall over of allegations of sexual misconduct spanning decades.

Posting on Twitter on Sunday, Milano passed along a suggestion from a friend on Sunday that women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted post "me too" to "give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.

#MeToo has been used more than half a million times since Sunday night.

"Being raped once made it easier to be raped again. I instinctually [sic] shut down. My body remembered, so it protected me. I disappeared. #metoo," actress Evan Rachel Wood wrote.

"Sharing my stories and feeling less alone really helps. So thank you for listening."

One Twitter user said: “I have typed [and] deleted this more times than I can count. I learned about evil before any person should. I am heartbroken at how the cycle continues & to see how many others have suffered because of it.”

Others pointed out how common the issue is with many saying they didn’t know a woman who hadn’t been harassed or assaulted at some point in their lives.

Thousands of others have also posted the words on their Facebook and Instagram profiles.

More than two dozen women - among them actresses Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow - have made accusations against him including rape and sexual assault. Weinstein insists sexual relations he had were consensual.

Milano's former co-star on TV's "Charmed," Rose McGowan, tweeted in support of the campaign.

She has accused Weinstein of raping her.

She has become an outspoken online critic of both Weinstein and Hollywood's culture of objectification of women.

Milano called the Weinstein allegations "disturbing" in an essay last week.

She wrote: "I am constantly part of this conversation even if I don't publicly comment on specific scandals.

"Sexual harassment and assault in the workplace are not just about Harvey Weinstein. We must change things in general.

"We must do better for women everywhere."

Men have also been using the hashtag to show support to women and to reveal their own incidents of abuse too.

Milano's rally call has sparked off other hashtags too.

In France, Twitter users are using #balancetonporc or "expose the pig" to encourage women to name and shame their attackers, while #Womenwhoroar is being used to encourage victims of sexual abuse to speak up.

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